Case Reports - Cats & Dogs
Sore low back in a cross-bred dog
Aero, a ten-year-old cross-bred male dog, had suffered from sore back for the last 1½ years. Advanced degenerative bony changes were diagnosed in his mid-back area. The dog was on standard pain-relieving medication for a year during 2010; nevertheless, the back pain was still largely present.
A nerve and muscle pain located in the low back area was clinically diagnosed on the first acupuncture visit in January 2011. Three treatments were given initially within a week. The dog's condition improved remarkably already within hours after the first session; the pain-killing medication was stopped after the third treatment.
While the dog remained sound, the owner still brings him for occasional check-ups every few months. Aero is now able to play and jump to well over a metre high as before the onset of the debilitating pain condition. No pain-killing medication seems to be necessary.
Accidental injuries in an old dog
Sky is a nineteen-year-old cross bred bitch. In spite of her high age, she is generally healthy. Nevertheless, because of her age, she does not see and hear well anymore, and she is generally stiff. Occasionally, her owner brings her for one or two acupuncture sessions when Sky is feeling rather poorly: once she fell into a pool; another time she became sore after another dog tried to play with her.
Usually, Sky is tender in the muscles along her low back, or around the hips and shoulders. Undoubtedly, she has a mild form of arthritis (as most old dogs have) which then combines with an acute muscle rheumatism following the injuries. As a rule, muscle tenderness and spasm already relieve during the acupuncture session and improvement then continues for another month or more.
This case illustrates the palliative value of acupuncture in ageing patients. While it would be rather an unrealistic expectation to halt the ageing process, acupuncture can make a difference to the dog's well-being in terms of pain-relief, muscle relaxation and improved mobility.
Shoulder lameness in a cat
Mawn, a three year old Abyssinian female cat, recently had a fight with another cat. Since then, she showed a prominent limp on her right front limb. When resting, she often held the limb up and also became less active and social with her owner.
The regular veterinarian diagnosed a strain of the shoulder joint and prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug to treat the condition. While these drugs are efficacious in many cases, no major improvement was noted in this instance.
The cat was brought for assessment to my consulting rooms three months after the injury. The initial examination revealed limited range of movement in the shoulder area, as well as a couple of tender muscle nodules located behind the joint. Mawn tolerated well the insertion of a few fine acupuncture needles in the area.
On the next visit, four days later, the owner was happy to say that the cat's movement had improved significantly. Also, Mawn became once again friendlier and started to venture once more into the garden. In total. three acupuncture treatments were necessary to deactivate all the tender muscle nodules. The range of movement of the joint increased and the muscle nodules disappeared. Four weeks later the cat was still sound as before the injury and does not exhibit any signs of pain.
Acupuncture can be useful in providing lasting pain-relief in the case of soft tissue injuries in small animals. It is, however, always important to eliminate the possibility of more serious injuries such as acute arthritis, joint dislocation, torn muscle or ligaments, local infection or bone fracture among other possibilities. A proper veterinary examination is thus imperative.
Unfortunately, not all cats are suitable subjects for acupuncture treatment, especially those particularly defensive or aggressive.
Muscle pain, spasm and stiffness
Adam, an 11-year-old Whippet, suffering from muscle pain, spasm and stiffness, was clearly in discomfort: for months, and he was reluctant to move his neck freely and his limbs were stiff. The owner suspected that the condition was due to chronic arthritis. An examination with his regular veterinarian did not reveal any particular problem.
When presented for an acupuncture treatment, the dog was found in good general health, except for extensive muscle pain, spasm and stiffness. Several muscles, particularly behind the shoulders, in the low back and around his knees, were sore and in spasm. The mobility of the spine, as well as around the shoulders and hips was severely restricted.
Eight fine metallic acupuncture needles were inserted into selected acupuncture points and gently manipulated throughout an acupuncture treatment lasting 15 minutes. When brought for a second treatment, the owner confirmed that Adam had become essentially more mobile and was apparently pain-free again. Another eight points were treated again in this session before terminating the treatment.
On an enquiry two months later, Adam was reported to be still sound, mobile and pain-free.
Many dogs suffer from painful conditions affecting neck, back or limbs. The pain and the associated stiffness are manifested in various ways: your dog might be just "different", "unhappy", showing difficulties on standing up, or reluctant to move freely, withdraws from contact with people and other dogs, etc. Depending on the location and nature of the disorder, it may be also yelping when lifted up by the owner, or display signs of lameness.
There are many reasons for these changes and abnormalities including arthritis, spondylitis, a muscle or ligament strain, irritated nerve, etc. The dog is usually brought for an acupuncture treatment following a general or specialised veterinary examination including radiology (X-rays), blood tests and other examinations. While pain-killing drugs are available, their long-term use is not necessarily the best option, as they may not always bring about a full recovery, or their use is associated with particular side-effects. Acupuncture is an alternative in these circumstances. It is particularly efficacious in curing so-called soft tissue injuries. Nevertheless, it can be surprisingly efficacious even in dogs suffering from chronic arthritis. In certain severe/advanced cases it may be necessary to combine acupuncture and pain-killing medication.
Sore back in a Dachshund
Schultz is an eleven-year-old long-hair Dachshund. In September 2010, he was brought for an acupuncture consultation with a complaint of constipation for six weeks. Additionally, he was notably tense in his back, as well as along in the chest and abdominal muscles. As a consequence, he could hardly move and was very unhappy about being touched.
Radiographic examination indicated that several of his intervertebral discs in the mid-back region have collapsed/slipped. The initial neurological examination confirmed the suspicion of damage to the spinal cord in the region. An acupuncture treatment was given.
The dog's poor condition slightly deteriorated before the second acupuncture treatment three days later. Acupuncture was repeated and the dog was given anti-inflammatory tablets for the next three days. On the third treatment, there was hardly any pain present and the dog's movement improved remarkably. The deranged hind limb reflexes started to improve after the third treatment. In total, four acupuncture treatments were given. In the owner's words, Schultz was then sound and pain-free.
I then saw the dog only six months later: this time with a mild wobbliness of his hind limbs, suggesting a partial relapse of the thoracolumbar disc disease. As reported three weeks after one acupuncture treatment, the dog regained full mobility.
Canine thoracolumbar disc disease affects so-called chrondrodystrophoid breeds of dogs - Dachshunds in particular. Depending on the degree of the intervertebral disc prolapse, the affected dogs can show "only" back pain in milder cases, while severe spinal damage will produce paresis and ataxia (wobbliness of the hind limbs) to total hind limb paralysis in severe cases. The dog drags its limbs behind him in this situation. The onset of the condition can vary from hours to days.
Surgical and non-surgical approaches to these cases have been recommended. Provided it's carried out within hours (maximum a few days) after an acute onset of the hind limb paralysis, the surgical management is highly successful. According to veterinary literature, anti-inflammatory drugs are not particularly effective, even if given over a longer period of time.
Acupuncture is a viable option, especially in the following situations:
- mild spinal damage - back pain only
- the onset of hind limb paralysis is protracted
- the suitable "window" period for surgery had lapsed
- the anaesthesia and surgery might be too risky in ageing or diseased patients
- the back surgery was performed, yet the dog remains paraplegic or paretic (wobbly) during the following few weeks
Back pain and hind limb paresis
Rakker was a happy, 13 year-old-male Maltese. He suddenly developed severe back pain after having jumped out of the car (something he has done many times before without any problem). Also, he developed weakness and incoordination of his hind limb (a muscle paresis pronounced more on the right side).
To manage the suspected slipped inter-vertebral disc, Rakker's veterinarian gave him cortisol (surgery was not an option because of the advanced age). Unfortunately, the dog developed an unusual adverse reaction characterised by vomiting and severe abdominal pain due to pancreatic irritation. The situation improved once the cortisol was discontinued. Nevertheless, the initial problems of the sore back and limb weakness remained.
Rakker's owner then thought to try acupuncture. On arrival at my consulting rooms, the dog's condition was assessed using conventional veterinarian tests, as well as an acupuncture examination. Ten fine metallic needles were then gently inserted into selected acu-points on his back and hind limbs. Rakker remained calm during the procedure, while being accompanied by his owner.
According to the owner, there was remarkable pain-relief following the first treatment on 24 April 2007. After the sixth treatment on 12 June 2007, Rakker's gait was then judged as normal.
A year later (June 2008), he was pain-free and his gait was as strong and fully coordinated as before the initial incident in March 2007
Below is an example of acupuncture points and meridians on the hind leg of a dog. Reprinted from: Janssens LAA and Still J: Atlas of Acupuncture Points in the Dog. Zaventem, Belgium, 1995
The main advantage of using acupuncture in similar cases can be summarised as follows:
- Long-term, reliable pain-relief without using drugs
- Effective management of the hind limb weakness and incoordination due to the initial traumatic damage to particular nerves
- Improved quality of life
Digestive problem in a Dachshund
Bonnie, a five year old Dachshund, suffered from frequent nausea and vomiting for more than 18 months. She also suffered from diarrhoea and associated pain.
A number of clinical and laboratory tests were carried out by the referring veterinarian, and Bonnie was then treated for hepatitis, as well as the associated vomiting and abdominal discomfort during that period. Unfortunately, the conventional drug treatment did not bring about any long-term solution to this highly distressing condition.
Acupuncture (or any other) treatment of such complicated cases, can be lengthy and not always rewarding. In Bonnie's case, it was necessary to administer a total of nine acupuncture treatments over a period of two months. The appropriate acupuncture points (including some points on the ear) were selected according to the evolving clinical signs on each treatment. The clinical signs of the ailment only subsided slowly over the period.
On a preventive visit three months later, the owner could report that vomiting was reduced from the initial daily occurrence to about once a month.
Since the end of the treatment (two and half years later), vomiting is no longer a problem. In the opinion of the owner, the acupuncture treatment was crucial in improving Bonnie's quality of life.
Acupuncture can be useful in the management of particular cases of internal and skin diseases. Indeed, the correct diagnosis should be established first and the available options of conventional medicine should be explored before considering acupuncture.
Pain in hips and low back
Tigger was a lively male German shepherd living on an extensive property together with other dogs. In June 2006, his owner noticed that during the last few weeks, Tigger showed signs of pain such as yelping, whimpering and stiffness in his hind limbs and low back, especially when getting up from his basket in the morning. The condition improved when Tigger started to move. Nevertheless, the morning pain and stiffness came back again and again.
On detailed clinical examination, I found a marked stiffness and pain in the low back and hip area. Tigger was treated with acu-injections based on saline solution (no pain-killing or anti-inflammatory drugs were used), applied into selected acupuncture points.
According to the owner, the dog experienced a fast recovery characterised by the disappearance of the morning pain and stiffness. On an enquiry two years later, Tigger was still sound and pain-free, which allowed him to live an active life.
This case demonstrates the possibilities of acupuncture in treating muscular rheumatism. The condition usually develops as a consequence of acute or repetitive muscle strain. While many cases will improve spontaneously with appropriate rest, some dogs show subsequently periodic pain and stiffness and appropriate treatment should be sought.
Acupuncture is a reliable option, especially in situations when the more conventional drug treatment
- does not bring about the expected degree of clinical improvement
- is accompanied by side-effects
- could be considered as doping (e.g. when using the dog in competitions).
A nerve injury causing lameness
A five-year-old male Border Collie became suddenly lame in his left rear limb during a training session in February 2008. He was rested for six weeks. The lameness was then accompanied by jerky movement of the leg. Radiographic examination by a specialist did not reveal any bony abnormalities.
On the initial acupuncture examination in July 2008, a definite tenderness along the course of a nerve in the stifle muscles was discovered. Also, the dog was sore in his low back muscles and ligaments. The nerve injury was treated using a specific technique of local anaesthesia.
The owner then phoned to tell me that the dog was sound to perform again in a month's time and he remained fully sound until the last enquiry in April 2011.
While most of nerve injuries require long-term management, this case illustrates that occasionally it is possible to achieve an even quicker recovery.
Depending on the circumstances, it may necessary to use dry needling, injections into acu-points, or anaesthetic blocks.